Winter trip - More cranes

This post is for Sandhill Cranes and Common Cranes. Finding the uncommon birds is always a challenge. Local information helps. Suggestions from friends as well. But I found them all!

Sandhill Crane, カナダヅル

I love these. So, I publish too many pics...

Stunning in flight

My first Common Crane, クロヅル way, way back - as usual.

Later a bit closer.

And one in flight 

Happy to see them all

Winter trip 2

 Cranes at sunrise. It was a magnificent sight again, to watch the cranes flying towards their feeding ground. There seemed to be less than other years. Maybe more birds chose to stay around the center in the west?

Among the thousands of Hooded Cranes and White-naped Cranes were a few others, like the Sandhill Crane, カナダヅル below. 3 Birds that seemed to be a family. A 4th bird was seen by itself.

There were supposed to be 6 Common Cranes, クロヅル. I found 2

The big White-naped Cranes, マナヅル can make quite a fuzz when one comes too close to the other. They also like to make themselves known in a loud voice with lots of imposing poses in the crane dance to enforce the bond with a mate.

Territorial dispute

I lost!... 負けた

Izumi, Kagoshima 鹿児島県出水 part 2: Common Crane, グロヅル and some more

 Continued from part 1

The Common Crane, グロヅル is not so uncommon in Europe, but here we saw just a few. Less than 10 I would say. There was a hybrid as well, and a very young bird

Russet Sparrow, ニュウナイスズメ

Hundreds of Sparrows were either flying in sweeping flock or sitting in long rows on the electrical wires. To me they looked very different from our Eurasian Tree Sparrows, lacking that dark spot on their cheeks, as if something is amputated 😀 We don't see them in Fukuoka.

The male is the pretty bird, with its rufous-brown head.

Feeding en masse on a patch of dried grass.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ 

The raptor kept a keen eye on these small birds. It showed up several times. 

It caught a pigeon at the parking lot, right in front of Jaap, who captured it on his smartphone.

After sunset we saw a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, ゴイサギ in the ditch.

The Japanese have a very appropriate nick name for these youngsters: ホシゴイ meaning "starry" heron

Aneha 2

The following morning, watching the sunrise at the feeding grounds, spectacular when thousands of birds come flying in.

When the sun was high enough to shed some light we searched for the less common cranes. At the far back were 2 Common Cranes, クロヅル, more or less at the same place as last year.

Lifting its head up for a second and stretching its wings, Common Crane, クロヅル

Closer by a Sandhill Crane, カナダヅル guiding the family to a safe corner

They didn't seem to be bothered by us much

At the field in front of the observation centre. A mix of Hooded Crane, ナベヅル and White-naped Crane, マナヅル hurrying to get their share

That was MY bit!

You stood on my toes!

After a while the mass thins out. Some birds return to their possy with their families, others just wander off.

It seemed impossible to find Aneha. 

Scanning the extensive area I was just about to give up when... I found her! Demoiselle Crane, アネハヅル At the far far end.

Changing location to get a better look

With quite an accomplished feeling I started looking at other birds.

White-naped Crane, マナヅル

The most common crane in Izumi, Hooded Crane, ナベヅル considered a bit dull compared with the elegant White-naped Cranes, but look at that intricate pattern of feathers. Isn't that beautiful?

It's always such a pleasure  to find beauty in common birds. White-naped Crane, マナヅル again

Below a raptor probably a female Hen Harrier, ハイイロチュウヒ, flying low, scanning the field. The cranes don't seem to care. They are too big to be considered prey of course

Common Starlings, Common Starling, ホシムクドリ basking in the early morning sun

Thousands of Rooks, ミヤマカラス taking every inch of the electricity wires

♥ Sweethearts ♥

Between them 5 smaller sized crow-type birds: Daurian Jackdaw, コクマルガラス 

I was wondering about the bird on the far right. Did it have blue eyes?

Another common bird here, the Russet Sparrow, ニュウナイスズメ. I often wonder, when will they come to Fukuoka?